Generation of persistent disabling gases



Sept. 20, 1932. B. c. GOSS 1,878,488

GENERATION OF PERSISTENT DISABIJING- GASES Filed July 13, 1931 PatentedSept. 20, 1932 NITED S anon c. eoss, or CLEVELAND, onro Applicationfiled July 18, 1831. Serial No. 550,599.

This invention relates to disabling and irritating gases and gasmixtures, and to gas generating chemicals of the type which produce, orwhich may be readily converted into,

disabling and irritating gases which will persist for a relatively longperiod of time, and which when inhaled cause intense burning andextremely oppressive pains across the chest, and violent headache in thefront part of the head; the inhaled gases also cause violent nausea andvomiting and tem orarily completely incapacitates a person; ut thedisabling effects of such inhaled gas pass 0E after a time so that anindividual inhaling the same is not permanently injured thereby. It hasfrequently happened that bandits and others have broken into bank safes,vaults, post oifices, jewelry stores, etc., which have been providedwith gas protection systems, and have succeeded in committing unlawfulacts because the particular gas used did not sufiiciently punish thebandits or others, or because the effects of the gas did not persist fora sufficiently long period of time, or because the bandits wore gasmasks, or because the bandits left when the gas was evolved, andreturned later. After having left the'scene of the unlawful act, it isfrequently difiicult to apprehend the persons committing the same,whereas if he had been made so very sick that it would not be possiblefor him to leave the premises for a considerable time, his capture atthe scene of the unlawful act would have been more probable. An objectof the invention is to provide a chemical charge which will produce adisabling gas that will so completely incapacitate a lawbreaker that hewill be unable to leave the scene of his unlawful acts for some time. I

A further object of the invention is to provide a chemical charge whichwill produce a dsabling gas that will so completely incapacitate aperson that the police authorities will be aided in the capture ofcriminals at the scene of an attemptedcrime by rendering said criminalsphysically incapable of resisting arrest. A further object of theinvention is to provide a chemical charge which will produce a disablinggaseous mixture which is intolerable in exceedingly low concentrations,so that the gas which is rapidly dispersed through the atmosphere by theheat and pressure generated by the force of the explosion 5 whichdischarges and volatilizes the mass of chemicals liberating the gas willrapidly be efiective in all parts of the room in which the gas Wasdispersed, or when discharged in the open air will be rapidly dispersedand 69 render a considerable area intolerable and thereby disperse ordisable a large mob of people.

A further object is to provide a chemical charge which will produce adisabling gas mixture which will liberate a disabling gas or gases, andwhich -will persist in its disabling properties for a long period oftime, and thereby prevent the commission of an unlawful act for aconsiderable period after 70 the gas has been liberated.

A further object is to provide a chemical charge which will produce adisabling gas which so completely incapacitates the person inhaling thesame that he will become very 7 sick and suffer. considerable pain, somuch so that the person will be compelled to lie down, and will beunable to complete his unlawful acts, and will be unable to leave thepremises for some time, thereby increasing the probability of hiscapture at the scene of 1118 unlawful acts.

A further object of the invention is to provide cartridges, handgrenades, and similar devices with the herein described gas genhandgrenade containing a charge of the gas generating chemicals describedherein.

In Fig. 1, a cartridge shell 1 is provided with a primer 2, a charge ofpropellant powder, for example smokeless powder 3, a wad 4, a layer ofgas generating chemical, for

eaann ole, diphenylamine-chlorarsine 5, wad '6, a gelatine or othersuitable capsule which also contain some diphenylamine-chlorarsinedissolved ethyl mercaptan, or mixpersed gas gene ture of solvents, '?,awad 8, a seal 9, and a suitable cushion lining l0.

Fig. 2, the propellant smokeless powder is mixed with the gas generatingchem ical, for example, diphenylamine-chlcrarsine 12, a 13, a cushion il, and a capsule containing some diphenylamine-chlorarsine dissolved inethyl mercaptan or other solvent, such as furfural, or crotonaldehyde.

ln Fig. 3, the propellant, smokeless powder 17, is separated by a wad l8and cushion 19, from the capsule containing a solution of a gasgenerating chemical, for example, diphenylaminechlorarsine in ethylmercaptan, furfural, crotonaldehyde, etc., or a mixture of any of thesesolvents.

in Fi i, a grenade body is provided with holes or vents 26, sealed-witha soft fusible metal seal 27, and then tilled with a charge consistingof diphenylamine-chlora-rsine, and smokeless powder 28, covered with astarting composition 29, which may consist of smokeless powder andcelluloid, and the fuse head attached, the fuse head is provided with amatch-head 31 which is in close proximity to the starting composition.When the grenade is used, the pin 32 is withdrawn and the grenadeimmediatley thrown, whereupon it goes oil the seal 27 bursts, and thegenerated gas liberated and dispersed by the heat and pressure of theexplosion.

The gas generating chemical used in this invention is preferablydiphenylamine-chlorarsine, but I may also use diphenyl-aminecyanarsine,or diphenylchlorarsine, or mixtures thereof, dissolved to aboutconcentration in a suitable solvent, or they may be sus pended in asaturated solution thereof, for example, in ethyl-mercaptan, furfural,or orotonaldehyde, or a mixture of any of these solvents.

The solution is suitably enclosed in a capsule which is placed incartridges, etc., which latter are provided with propellant and heatgenerating explosives, and when fired, volatilize and rapidly dispersethe generated gases over a large area, and render the atmosphereintolerable for a long time even at such low concentrations of thedispersed gas or gases as about 0.0223 mg. per liter of air for oneminute exposure, or 0.0003 milligrams per liter of air for ten minutesof exposure, the concentration varying with-the volume of the space intowhich the gases had been dispersed. The disabling efi'ects of the gas ismuch more prolonged than with gases in general use, and may last forseveral hours, and even for a full day without producing permanentinjury. A person ex posed to such a l w concentration of the dis- ;ed bythe chemicals described herein would be severely punished, the inhaledgas causing nausea and vomiting, accompanied with an intense burningsensation and extremely oppressive pain across the chest, and also inmost cases a violen headache in the front part of the head. The resultof such exposure would be that the person would be unable to leave theplace of the unlawful act but would become so violently sick that hewould be compelled to lie down and be entirely incapable of resistingcapture for some time. Urdinary gas masks in general use do not entirelyprotect the wearer against gases containing diphenylamine-chlorarsine,or the other gas generating chemicals above named.

The chemicals may be used in the following general proportions,diphenylaminechlorarsine, or diphenylaminecyanarsine, ordiphenylchlorarsine, 20 percent to about 35 percent; the balance toconsist of a solvent, which may be a single or mixed solvent, forexample, ethyl mercaptan, or furfural, or crotonaldehyde, or a mixtureof any of these.

In Fig. 1, about 25 percent by weight of diphenylamine-chlorarsine, ordiphenylaminecyanarsine, or diphenylchlorarsine, or a mixture thereof,is used, and about 75 percent of smokeless powder, as illustrated; thesolu tion in the capsule 7 may contain from 10 percent to 25 percent ofdiphenylamine-chlorarsine, or other chemical indicated in ethylmercaptan, or furfural, or crotonaldehyde, as described herein.

In Fig. 2, about 25 percent by weight of diphenylamine-chlorarsine, orother chemical indicated, is mixed with about 75 percent of smokelesspowder; the solution in the capsule may be the same as in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 3, the charge of smokeless powder 17 need not necessarilycontain any of the gas generating chemical but it may do so; the capsule20 preferably contains about 25 percent of'diphenylamine-chlorarsine, orother chemical indicated and about '1' 5 percent of solvent, which maybe any of those described herein, for example, ethyl mercaptan,furfural, or crotonaldehyde, or mixture thereof.

In Fig. 4, the charge in the grenade contains from about 20 percent toabout 35 percent of diphenylamine-chlorarsine or other chemicalindicated above, and the balance of smokeless powder; the charge iscovered with a starting composition 29 as described above, and firedwith the match-head 31.

lln addition to the disabling properties which the solvents referred toherein possess, said solvents when vaporized function as vehicles forthe vaporized d phenylaminechlorarsine or other lachrymatory chemicalsassociated therewith.

In the claims, where diphenylaminechlorarsine is mentioned the claimsshould be understood as including either diphenylamine-chlorarsine,diphenylaminecyanarsine,

or diphenylchlorarsine, or any mixture thereof, as the gas generatingagent.

I claim 1. A unitary association containing gas generating chemicalscapable of developing persistent disabling gases, consisting ofdiphenylamine-chlorarsine in proximity to an explosive, and a capsulecontaining dissolved diphenylamine-chlorarsine, said gas generatingchemical adapted to be volatilized and dispersed by said explosivewhereby the vaporized solvent functions as a vehicle for the vaporizeddiphenylamine-chlorarsine.

2. 'A unitary association containing gas generating chemicals capable ofdeveloping persistent disabling gases, consisting ofdiph-enylamine-chlorarsine associated with a liquid containingdiphenylamine-chlorarsine, and an explosive; whereby the vaporizedliquid functions as a vehicle for the vaporizeddiphenylamine-chlorarsine.

3. A unitary association containing gas generating chemicals capable ofdeveloping persistent disabling gases, cons sting of from 20 percent to35 percent of diphenylamine- *chlorarsine associated with a liquidcontain ing diphenylamine-chlorarsine and an ex- 'plosive, whereby thevaporized liquid functions as a vehicle for the vaporizeddiphenylamine-chlorarsine.

4. A unitary association containing gas generating chemicals consistingof a solution of diphenylamine-chlorarsine in ethyl mercaptan, andassociated w th heat generating means to volatilize and disperse saidgas generating chemicals.

5. A unitary association contain ng gas generating chemicals consistingof a solution of diphenylamine-chlorars ne in furfural, and, associatedwith heat generating means to volatilize and disperse said gasgenerating chem cals. i

6. A unitary association containing gas generating chemicals consistingof a solution of diphenylamine-chlorarsine in crotonaldehyde, andassociated with heat generating means to volatilize. and disperse saidgas generating chemicals.

7. A unitary association containing gas generating chemicals consistingof a solution of diphenylamine-chlorarsine dissolved in a mixturecontaining at least two of the solvents ethyl mercaptan, furfural,and'crotonaldehyde, and assoclated with heat generating means tovolatilize and disperse said gas generating chemicals.

In testimony whereof I. hereby aflix my signature.

BYRON C GOSS.

